Current Reality
As of May 4, 2023, 27 First Nations communities still have 31 long-term drinking water advisories. Progress is as follows:
| Date of Govt. Advisory | Current # of Long-Term Advisories | Communities still impacted | # of Long-Term Advisories Lifted | % completed |
| Feb. 3, 2023 | 32 | 28 | 138 | 82% |
| Jan. 5, 2023 | 33 | 29 | 137 | 81% |
| Dec. 14, 2022 | 31 | 27 | 137 | 82% |
| Oct. 12, 2022 | 31 | 27 | 136 | 82% |
| Sept. 15, 2022 | 31 | 28 | 135 | 81% |
| 18-Jul-22 | 31 | 29 | 135 | 82% |
| 28-May-22 | 34 | 29 | 132 | 80% |
| 25-Apr-22 | 33 | 28 | 132 | 80% |
| Mar. 21, 2022 | 34 | 29 | 131 | 79% |
| Feb. 24, 2022 | 36 | 29 | 128 | 78% |
| Jan. 25, 2022 | 36 | 29 | 127 | 78% |
| Jan. 7, 2022 | 37 | 29 | 126 | 77% |
| Dec. 9, 2021 | 42 | 30 | 120 | 74% |
| Oct. 25, 2021 | 43 | 31 | 119 | 73% |
| Aug. 28, 2021 | 51 | 32 | 109 | 68% |
| Mar. 31, 2021 | 54 | 34 | 105 | – |
| Dec. 23, 2020 | 58 | 40 | 98 | – |
July 31, 2021: Toronto Star – Tataskweyak Cree Nation, Curve Lake First Nation and Neskantaga First Nation (1995), together with the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Indigenous Services, announced that an historic Agreement in Principle has been reached…to resolve national class action litigation related to safe drinking water in First Nations communities. The agreement includes the following:
- $1.5 billion in compensation for individuals deprived of clean drinking water;
- the creation of a $400 million First Nation Economic and Cultural Restoration Fund;
- a renewed commitment to Canada’s Action Plan for the lifting of all long-term drinking water advisories;
- the creation of a First Nations Advisory Committee on Safe Drinking Water;
- support for First Nations to develop their own safe drinking water by-laws and initiatives;
- a commitment of at least $6 billion to support reliable access to safe drinking water on reserve;
planned modernization of Canada’s First Nations drinking water legislation.
The class included all members of First Nations whose communities were subject to a drinking water advisory for a year or longer from Nov. 8, 1996, to now. (Toronto Star, July 31, 2021)
https://nationtalk.ca/story/the-government-of-canada-reaches-an-agreement-in-principle-to-resolve-class-action-litigation-related-to-safe-drinking-water-in-first-nations-communities”
May 5, 2021: Global News – An auditor general report on access to safe drinking water in First Nations (Report 3 “Access to Safe Drinking Water in First Nations Communities— Indigenous Services Canada” released on Feb. 21, 2021 estimates that the federal government would not be able to eliminate all long-term drinking water advisories in First Nations until 2023-24 and that it would take until 2025-26 to ensure long-term solutions for a stable drinking water supply in some of the affected nations.
https://www.ourcommons.ca/content/Committee/432/PACP/WebDoc/WD10867510/Action_Plans/DepartmentOfIndigenousServices-e.pdf